Once a Partner, Always a Partner
by Sasha-038
Summary: Jack and Nina find themselves in a sticky situation where they have to put their lives in each others hands. Can Jack trust the woman who murdered his wife? Can Nina trust the man who wants her dead? How does Kim get involved. One-shotish. Rated T for multiple deaths and some descriptive ones.


Seventeen gunmen outside who were unaware that they were here. No CTU people, not that he trusted them anymore since both Jamie and Nina were terrorists. All it was, was Jack and Nina. Once upon a time he would've been okay with this situation, with his partner whom he trusted. Now, he wanted to shoot himself because he was stuck with not only a traitor, but with the woman who took his wife's life.

Nina was feeling the same way, pissed at the situation she found herself in, and pissed that he was the one stuck in the situation with her. She couldn't trust him at all, because he would kill her or leave her to die in a heartbeat. Not that she blamed him for hating her.

"What are we going to do, Jack?" She asked.

He was breathing heavily, trying to control all of his emotions. "I trusted you, Nina." He said. "With my life. With my daughter's life...with... Teri."

"She wasn't supposed to be there. She overheard a conversation I had that would blow my cover." Nina defended.

"You killed my wife." He said through clenched teeth. "YOU THINK I GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR COVER?!" He shouted, flipping a small table that sat between them. She remained calm, well aware that he was on the edge of his self-control.

"Of course not." She answered the question he had asked without belief there would be an answer. He glared at her.

"You killed my wife... and my baby." He said shaking his head.

"I didn't kill Kim!" Nina defended.

"Teri was pregnant." Jack admitted.

Nina stifled in shock. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"You wouldn't have given a damn anyway. You would've still killed her to maintain your cover, right? AM I RIGHT?!"

"Would you stop yelling! If they hear us they'll kill us both! I know you think I have nothing to live for and you're right, I don't, but you have Kim at home who needs you. We can get out of here but your going to have to trust me."

"I'd rather die than trust you." He said in a harsh whisper.

"You think this is easy for me? You've held me at gunpoint and wrapped your hands around my throat!" Nina said.

"You had a choice. You didn't have to kill Teri. Or Jamie. You don't have a reason so you could've stopped. You could've quit. Instead you betrayed me, Tony, Jamie, Kim,... Teri.." Jack said. "I don't know what I hate most about you, Nina. What you did or your reasoning behind it."

"Shh." Nina hissed as a gunman neared. Jack continued to glare at her.

When they heard the man move away they both let out a breath of relief.

"I know you don't want to but you have to trust me. It's the only way we can get out of here alive."

"Nina..."

"Jack, why would I betray you now?"

"For all I know you're teamed up with the people out there!" He exclaimed.

"If I was I would send them in and have you killed, but I'm not and I won't." Nina said.

Jack hesitated running all of the information through his head. No matter how many times she lied to him, or betrayed him he knew that she was right. He wasn't going to get out of here without her. "Okay," he said at last reaching down to his ankle to grab his back up gun. He handed it to her and caught her eyes. She took the gun from him and checked to make sure it was loaded. He removed his weapon from his side.

"What's the plan, Jack?" She asked.

"Three gunmen at the door. We take them out, then we go left. Should be five gunmen on the side. If we can get through without killing them, we will. If not, we kill whoever gets in the way."

"Got it." She replied holding her gun low and standing near his back.

"No, you go first." He ordered.

"Why?" She asked.

"I'm not taking any chances of you getting left behi-" he cut himself off momentarily remembering she was a traitor. He had forgotten. "Because I said so." He corrected.

She stood in front of him until he gave her the signal to go. When she did so he was close behind her. As Jack predicted, three gunmen were at the door. Nina fired first, killing one of them. Jack fired next, killing another. The third ducked down behind a carton and hid. He came up and shot three shots, all directed at Nina, then came up and shot two at Jack, missing with each shot. Nina fired four shots, all of them hitting the carton, none of them going through. When he came up to shoot again, Jack fired putting a bullet between his eyes.

He silently directed Nina to go over to the door and open it. They looked around first, to make sure the coast was clear. Once they were certain they hadn't seen any gunmen, they took off running to the left. Hiding behind a tree they ducked down. Jack peeked around the tree and counted four gunmen, all of them surrounding the exit. Nina looked over at Jack.

"We have to take them out." Jack said. Nina nodded in agreement. Jack raised his weapon to one of the gunmen and fired, shooting him. The other three panicked, grabbing ahold of the guns wrapped around their necks and running behind rocks and trees for cover. None of them knew where the shot initiated from. Nina turned and fired a shot to a gunman she had an angle on, killing him. She ran over and took his place, hidden behind rocks and a large plant. Jack followed her lead so that they would be together.

"One man behind that oak tree over there." Nina said as she pointed to the giant tree she was referring to. "Another is behind that giant rock." She said.

Jack nodded. "Okay, you take the guy by the tree. I'll see what I can do about the rock."

Nina nodded understanding, fleeing to a tree closer to the man she was targeting. Unable to get a clear shot, she ran over to the next one. A bullet was fired. She had been spotted.

Jack ran up behind the rock. On the other side was the man he needed to kill. Very slowly he reached his gun around the side of the rock and fired. He then stood up ypon realizing the target wasn't dead. He fired three shots into the man's head. As soon as he did so he heard a gunfire not far from him. He ducked, taking cover behind the rock until the sound of bullets quieted.

"Nina?" He whispered.

"Nina!" He shouted at the eerie silence of no response.

"I'm right here Jack." She said as she came into his view, ducking behind the rock.

"He dead?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. Yours?" She asked.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we have much time. They'll probably send backup." Jack said looking around to see if there were any signs of more men. Upon not seeing any he signaled for her to go. She nodded, getting up and running towards the exit. He followed closely behind her.

She shot the lock on the door and began to run. Jack was close behind her until that is, a bullet impaled itself into his leg. He shouted out, turning to face the shooter before another bullet planted itself into his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

Nina jumped behind a tree as some bullets were aimed in her direction.

Suddenly, as if all time froze, she didn't feel like a terrorist. She felt like Jack's partner. His friend. No matter what she did to him, she had never intended it to get personal. She never expected to kill Teri and now she couldn't expect herself to leave him to die.

She took a deep breath and stood up, firing a bullet into a gunman's chest. She wasn't sure if it killed him, but he fell to the ground and was motionless. A few of the gunmen started running up to Jack. Nina fired at them, missing with every shot. One of their bullets skimmed her shoulder, but it wasn't enough to slow her down. She made a run towards a closer tree so she would have better aim and be able to take out more men with less bullets. She fired, killing two more of the men. There were about six more, and one was obviously calling for back up.

Nina looked with dread at her gun. Only four bullets left. Meaning she would have to get a gun when two gunmen were still standing. She breathed heavily. If she ran now, she would definitely be able to escape. But Jack would die.

"Nina! Go! Run!" Jack shouted when he realized she was still here, fighting for him. His gun was inches away so he crawled towards it, wincing when he put pressure on his wounded leg. He reached out and grabbed it turning to face a gunman standing over him. He didn't have time to turn and fire, but to his relief Nina did, shooting him. Jack grabbed his gun as the dead man fell. He attempted to stand, but the injury in his leg set him off balance and he fell back to the ground. That didn't stop him from shooting a gunman that was nearing Nina.

He couldn't believe he was helping her, protecting her from the enemy. He couldn't believe she hadn't left him to die and the worst of all was he knew if he had been put in her position he wouldn't have left her to die either. It was a connection they had, a remembrance of the partnership they once shared.

He moved to shoot another man running towards him. He knew he was running out of bullets and knew Nina must also have a minimum amount remaining. Another gunman was shot down as Nina started running towards him.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Saving your ass." Nina answered trying to lift him up, but he was too heavy for her.

"If you think this is going to get you out of prison, your wrong." He said.

"I don't need you to get me out of prison, Jack. I have all the information I need." She said firing two bullets into a gunman's chest. He fell but the one behind him raised his weapon and fired, missing Nina's head by a centimeter. Jack grabbed her by her neck and pulled her head against his chest as more bullets were fired. He reached up and shot at the man shooting at them. He had Nina pinned against him, holding her head to his chest by her hair.

For a moment, she felt safe.

Jack killed another gunman, meaning at least two were still alive.

"I'm out." Nina said as he released his protective grip on her.

"I've got one left." Jack replied.

"There's at least two men left."

"Two birds, one stone."

"Yeah. Not as fun when the birds are throwing stones of their own." Nina joked.

Jack smiled, taking a look around in hope of spotting another gunman, but they were all in hiding.

"Nina, why are you doing this?"

"You were my partner."

"Yeah, that was before you killed my wife."

"Two wrongs don't make a right. You were supposed to be killed."

"Yeah, was that your job?" He asked.

"No." She answered without giving any more information.

"You order it?" He asked.

"No." She repeated.

"Then how did you know I was supposed to die?"

"That was my way out. They had to kill you so I could get away clean. But then you killed them."

"You would've sacrificed me for yourself?" He asked.

"Then? Yes." She answered honestly. "But now I realize that-"

"GET DOWN!" He shouted upon seeing a gunman stand up behind her.

She ducked down, covering her head with her hands as a bullet smacked against her shoulder. She cried out at the severe pain. Jack fired his last bullet into the man's head.

"We have to go for cover." Jack said, looking down at Nina. Blood was pouring out of her arm, pooling on the floor. He must have hit an artery.

Jack's instincts kicked in when he saw her hurt. He ripped his sleeve off of his jacket and wrapped it around her upper arm tight. She grabbed his arm, sinking her nails into his skin as he did so, the pain hardly bearable. He saw the bleeding begin to slow.

"See that tree over there?" Jack asked. Nina nodded.

"That's where we're going." He said.

She started to crawl towards the tree, letting him have his forearm on her back for support.

"Daddy?" He heard a familiar voice call out.

"Jack we have to keep going." Nina said using her unwounded hand to cover his mouth. "You can't scream out our position or they'll come get us."

He shook his head violently in attempt to shake her hand from his mouth.

"Dammit Jack stop moving!" She cursed. "Let me get you behind this tree, and then I'll go get her."

"How can I trust you, Nina? You killed Teri. You- how do I know you won't kill Kim too? How do I-"

"What other choice do you have Jack? Yell out your position, have Kim and the gunman run over here and get all three of us killed?"

"So I'm supposed to trust you? You killed-"

"I know I killed Teri! She was a link to me and I put a bullet in her head. I had so much to lose then, Jack! I could've left you to die and I didn't!"

"That doesn't mean I'm gonna put my daughter's life in your hands."

"What else are you gonna do?" Nina asked.

Realizing he was cornered he nodded allowing her to help him behind the tree. One he was safely there she turned towards him. He stroked her cheek with his hand.

"Nina..." He said.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"Thank you."

She nodded as her answer and began to creep towards the rock where Kim was hidden.

"Nina?" Kim asked.

"Kim, it's okay. I'm on your side."

"You killed my mom!" Kim shouted kicking at her.

"Yes, and if I wanted you dead I would've killed you already! Your dad is behind that tree. He's wounded. So am I." She said.

Kim's eyes traveled to Nina's injury.

"Come on Kim." Nina said with a reassuring voice.

Kim took out a gun of her own and aimed it at Nina's head. "You killed my mom when we trusted you!" Kim shouted.

"Kim, you need to be quiet or the gunman will hear you." Nina warned.

Kim stood up, keeping her gun on Nina. "My dad won't be able to shoot you but I will!"

"Kim get down!" Nina said grabbing the blonde's wrist and pulling downwards. It was too late.

A bullet whizzed through Kim's head splattering blood everywhere. Nina gasped, her mouth hanging open as Kim fell to the ground the blood from her wound coating her hair.

Nina reached out and grabbed Kim's gun from the dead girl's hand. She turned and fired four shots into the last gunman's chest and watched as he fell to the ground.

Jack was going to hate her.

TBC

A/N: Only at season one guys, so please don't tell me anything about the next seasons. I personally really liked Nina, I thought she was loyal, smart, and total kick ass. I just think if she gave us reason to forgive and forget I sure as hell would! So I imagined the two in this position and KA-POOF this story popped out. I will most definitely be continuing it so let me know what you think. In my opinion Kim is totally stupid, which is why i killed her off pretty fast. Anyway, review if you have the time and if not, i hope you enjoyed!

-Sasha


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